The moment Subaru gripped his wrist just now, Daichi Ishizaki truly felt as though his heart was about to stop.
Although it lasted only for an instant, Ishizaki felt it couldn't possibly be a hallucination.
To be honest, if it were merely the simple physical pain of having one's wrist crushed with great force, Ishizaki wouldn't actually feel much. During middle school, Ishizaki had been in plenty of fights, and he often fought very viciously at that.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to gain a small reputation.
This included the period right after enrollment. Because he refused to submit to Kakeru Ryuen, the fights between him and Ryuen were even more intense than those in middle school. But if not for Ryuen's fondness for underhanded tricks, Ishizaki wouldn't have cared, nor would he have been afraid.
What truly made a chill run down Ishizaki's spine was the look in Subaru's eyes at that moment.
As someone who fought often, Ishizaki had seen many kinds of eyes.
Ferocious eyes, crazy eyes, eyes filled with rage, or even eyes of pity—pitying him.
But Subaru's eyes just now were completely different.
They were too calm.
It wasn't that Ishizaki hadn't seen calm eyes before.
For instance, those adults—people who were already grown up—would occasionally show calm eyes when seeing him fight others. But Subaru's calmness was not the same thing as theirs.
Most people's calmness still held a reaction.
It was like shouting at a mountain range and getting an echo, or throwing a stone into an old well and hearing a splash.
Subaru was too calm. There was no anger toward his behavior, nor was there the disdain many people held when looking at a delinquent like him. There wasn't even any emotion that should be present when 'looking at a living human being.'
'If I had to describe it...'
'It was like walking down the street and casually noticing an unremarkable pebble... or perhaps...'
'A bug that crashed into the windshield?'
This was the first time Ishizaki had seen such eyes.
Is that guy, Subaru... really a normal person? ...A normal high school student?
This absurd notion bubbled up from Ishizaki's heart.
Before today, Kakeru Ryuen was the most dangerous figure Ishizaki had ever met, and to some extent, he had been subdued and tamed by Ryuen. But Ryuen's danger was imaginable; it was concrete.
Ryuen had his own objectives and goals.
For domination, benefits, amusement.
Regardless of what it was for, Ryuen had purposes that belonged to him.
But Subaru was different...
*
Commercial Street.
Inside a private room at a KTV.
Because every student in the class was required to hand over half of their personal points each month as 'class fees,' Kakeru Ryuen, as the class's de facto ruler, possessed sufficient personal points. Naturally, he wouldn't be stingy.
Every month, Ryuen would organize one or two class team-building events to consolidate class cohesion.
Basically, all consumption inside the school was much cheaper than outside.
Even a team-building activity for the entire class of forty people wouldn't cost many personal points. Holding two sessions a month would only cost seventy or eighty thousand personal points.
Very cost-effective.
"Oh?"
"Subaru actually made a move on you guys?"
Ryuen sat on the sofa, looking thoughtfully at Ishizaki and the other two standing before him.
"Interesting. I originally thought Subaru would turn a blind eye to your provocation."
"I didn't expect that you, Ishizaki, could actually anger Subaru... Hehehe..."
Seeing Ishizaki's somewhat uneasy expression, Ryuen asked with a trace of interest on his face, "Ishizaki, it's rare. To think your face would show such a laughable expression."
"Ryuen..."
"I feel that Subaru person isn't as simple as he looks..."
Hesitating for a moment, Ishizaki wanted to persuade Ryuen to change targets.
Perhaps it was a sixth sense honed by years of fighting experience, but Ishizaki felt that when he reached out his hand in front of Subaru just now, it was simply like walking on a tightrope.
One slip, and he could have been doomed beyond redemption.
"Of course Subaru isn't as simple as he looks."
Ryuen saw Ishizaki's somewhat weak expression and interrupted him with some amusement. Looking at Ishizaki's face, Ryuen knew exactly what he wanted to say.
It was nothing more than feeling that Subaru wasn't easy to deal with and that it would be better to switch to another target in Year 1, Class D.
However, Year 1, Class D's class points were already at zero. Apart from Subaru, there was no meaning in targeting anyone else. Forcing a target would only trap Year 1, Class C in a dilemma themselves.
"If Subaru were simple, would I have let you, Ishizaki, take Komiya and Kondo over to probe him?"
"Or do you think someone who has earned seven or eight million personal points within just two months of enrollment is simple?"
As he spoke, Ryuen let out a disdainful laugh. "Or perhaps, Ishizaki, do you think I would go to such lengths and scheme so deliberately against a simple person?"
"Ishizaki, you don't think I have too much free time, do you?"
As his voice fell, Ryuen's expression turned slightly gloomy.
From a results perspective, Ryuen was relatively satisfied with the actions of Ishizaki's trio today. He hadn't expected any results originally; it was just a casual probe today.
He hadn't expected Subaru to actually take the bait.
In this academy, there were only a very few places without surveillance. If Subaru truly didn't take the bait, even Ryuen wouldn't have any particularly good methods.
Take the previous instruction to Ishizaki, for example; he hadn't intended for them to really touch Subaru.
At most, they were to pretend to be careless, knock over Subaru's food tray, and even then, they would need to compensate Subaru. Otherwise, if Subaru casually reported it, he could deduct at least ten class points from Year 1, Class C.
Furthermore, they would still need to compensate Subaru for his loss.
Previously, Ishizaki had prepared to knock over Subaru's tray, then fiercely provoke him, and finally pay for an identical set meal for him.
It seemed foolish, but there was truly no other way.
Ryuen just wanted to see Subaru's reaction to provocation.
"But, Ryuen..."
"That guy Subaru's strength is really a bit ridiculous."
Komiya Kyogo, seeing his good brother being scolded by Ryuen into silence, hurriedly stood up to help speak for him. "Ishizaki's wrist was directly pinched until it swelled, and that was while sitting and eating, a posture unsuited for exerting force..."
"Even Albert couldn't possibly achieve such a feat!"
"He's just strong, that's all."
"Physical strength alone cannot decide the final victory~"
Hearing Komiya's words, the disdainful smile on Ryuen's face didn't change at all.
If physical strength could decide the ultimate victory, Ryuen wouldn't have become the de facto leader of Year 1, Class C. Ryuen had conquered Year 1, Class C through violence.
However, within Year 1, Class C, the strongest person was not Ryuen.
Ryuen's combat power might not even securely make the top three. What Ryuen relied on was a kind of ruthlessness.
And now, in Ryuen's view, even if Subaru was very strong—even if his strength was truly ridiculous as Ishizaki and Komiya claimed, and Ryuen stood no chance against him physically—so what?
In the end, he was just a guy slightly stronger than Albert Yamada.
Essentially, there was no difference between him and Albert.
"However... this month has only just begun."
"Year 1, Class D's class points are also zero, so there's no necessity to target them... Let's put Subaru's matter aside for now. When the time is ripe..."
"Naturally, we can thoroughly domesticate Subaru..."
Just like taming Albert Yamada, Daichi Ishizaki, and the others.
However, since they were still present, Ryuen didn't say that last sentence out loud.
Looking at the Class C crowd partying frantically in the luxurious KTV private room, the corners of Ryuen's mouth revealed a hint of a smile as he began to ponder his next moves.
'Hehe.'
'Year 1, Class C?'
'Year 1, Class B is just a group of little white rabbits, and Year 1, Class A is nothing special either...'
Becoming Class A and graduating as Class A was only a matter of time.
*
Meanwhile.
On the other side, not long after Subaru left the cafeteria, on the way to the library.
At an intersection slightly ahead of Subaru, a boy with golden-yellow hair appeared. Beside the boy followed two girls who looked somewhat fawning.
"Oh my, you must be the dark horse freshman of the first year, Natsuki Subaru-kun."
Seeing Subaru, the blond boy paused for a moment, then revealed a perfectly measured smile on his face. "First time meeting. I am Miyabi Nagumo of Year 2, Class A."
Nagumo looked at the expressionless Subaru before him, who clearly lacked motivation, and revealed a look of scrutiny.
"A senior from the second year?"
Subaru looked at Nagumo, who focused his attention on him the moment he saw him, and smiled. "I wonder if Nagumo-senpai has some business in greeting me?"
"Not any particular business."
"It's just that I've heard a little about Natsuki-kun's deeds. Now that I've run into Natsuki-kun, I thought I'd say hello."
Nagumo wore a faint smile on his face. "Personally, I very much appreciate Natsuki-kun's actions. Currently, I hold the position of Vice President in the Student Council, so I possess a little bit of power."
"I wonder, would Natsuki-kun be interested in accepting my invitation to join the Student Council?"
Looking at Subaru, Nagumo genuinely felt a bit of appreciation.
To be able to obtain what could be called a massive amount of personal points shortly after school started, and to strike ruthlessly at a classmate while most people were still ignorant, expelling a classmate he spent day and night with.
He was a ruthless person without any controversy within the school.
And Nagumo valued individual ability above all else.
Subaru perfectly matched Nagumo's criterion of individual ability supremacy. Back in May, last month, Nagumo had already been planning for Subaru, preparing to control him and make Subaru his spokesperson in the first year.
"The Student Council?"
"Apologies, Nagumo-senpai. I have a full schedule for my personal time."
Hearing Nagumo's invitation, Subaru shook his head slightly. "I do not plan to waste time on meaningless things."
"Meaningless... things, is it..."
"That's quite a harsh way to put it."
Nagumo wasn't annoyed upon hearing Subaru's answer.
Since he prepared to support Subaru as his spokesperson in the first year, Nagumo naturally had some understanding of Subaru. As the Vice President of the Student Council.
The authority Nagumo possessed in this academy was much greater than what a normal person might imagine.
He could even influence the school's decisions to a certain extent.
Using the Student Council's power to observe Subaru was a trivial matter.
"Natsuki-kun may have insufficient understanding of the Student Council's powers."
"Or rather, you haven't realized at all just how great the Student Council's power is in this academy."
It was fine to not be interested in the Student Council.
Since he didn't understand what extent the Student Council could reach in this academy, Nagumo could reluctantly introduce it to Subaru, making him realize the Student Council's energy.
Nagumo believed that no one could resist the temptation of an invitation from him, the Student Council Vice President.
"Does Nagumo-senpai refer to the matter that the Student Council can interfere with the school's official decisions to some extent?"
"Or perhaps, the ability to influence the content of every crucial exam?"
For someone he was meeting for the first time who seemed a bit interesting, Subaru could spare a little of his time.
Just like going to a company interview.
If one didn't interview properly, how could one know which people had a greater probability of possessing their own color?
The reason Subaru chatted with Daichi Ishizaki and the other two just now was not without the intention of interviewing them, to see the quality of Ishizaki and his group.
It was just a pity that, for now, Ishizaki's trio showed no potential.
"Oh?"
"I didn't expect Natsuki-kun to know much more about the Student Council than I imagined."
Nagumo was somewhat surprised.
Using the authority of the Student Council Vice President, Nagumo had investigated Subaru.
There were no Student Council members around Subaru, nor had he contacted any Student Council members. His social circle itself was shockingly narrow, with no density of information.
He hadn't expected that under such circumstances, Subaru would have such an understanding of the Student Council.
"Nagumo-senpai, I still have things to do."
"If there's a chance, let's talk again next time."
Nagumo was speaking nonsense; Subaru's patience ran out. Interview failed.
After speaking, Subaru paid no further attention to Nagumo. Instead, he stepped past Nagumo and continued walking along his original route.
___
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